Unhappily Ever After
by Anna Pallaria
Summary: A Season Seven 'Episode' (5) -- The sisters find out that there are a troop of demons after one young innocent witch coming into her powers. Meanwhile, Paige tries to stop Magic School from closing down.
1. Teaser

AUTHOR'S NOTE  
  
And here comes episode five of our beloved alternate season seven. Oh, but I have a point to make: the alternate season I am creating is not going to be twenty three episodes long (or twenty two) like the other seasons have been, because A) I don't have the time and B) I'm not sure if I could write a season that long. I will let you all know when the season will be coming to an end, but I will tell you it will be before twenty two episodes, I promise you that.  
  
I hope you enjoy!  
  
====================================================  
  
FLASHBACK  
  
EXT. FOREST - NIGHT - 1995. A small girl is running through the forest, as if she is running from something.  
  
A bolt of lightning comes flying in her direction, and she dives to the ground and the lightning flies over her head. The small girl turns and sees a demon with his hand outstretched.  
  
DEMON  
Sorry, witch. You're not getting away this time. I killed your   
mother for her powers, and now all I need is yours to become what  
I wish to be.  
  
CHRISTINE (crying)  
Stay away from me!  
  
DEMON  
Crying won't do you any good. Say hello to your mother for me.  
  
He throws another bolt of lightning at her, but it merely bounces off of her chest. Christine twists her hand and sends a powerful gust of wind that throws the demon off his feet.  
  
Christine gives another twist of her hand and sends a bolt of lightning at the demon. It hits him in the chest, and he gasps, as if it stabbed him. Before the demon is vanquished, it throws out his hand.  
  
A cave appears, surrounding Christine. She gasps and looks around, confused. The demon gives one final wave of his hand, sealing the cave up and creating a force field around the cave. With his power gone, the demon explodes in a burst of cloud and smoke.   
  
INT. CAVE - NIGHT. Christine is inside the cave, looking around confused. She conjures a bolt of lightning in her right hand and throws it at the cave walls.  
  
The lightning hits the wall, but just explodes on it in a puff of smoke, not harming the wall at all.  
  
Realizing that she is trapped in there, Christine sits down, and cries.  
  
END FLASHBACK  
  
INT. MALL - 2004 - DAY. Piper and Phoebe walk out of the department store with no bags in their hands.  
  
PIPER  
May I be the first to say that this sucks?  
  
PHOEBE  
Yeah. Who thought sister bonding was so dull?  
  
PIPER  
Well, whoever thought up window shopping obviously did not have  
sisters and decided to make life miserable.  
  
PHOEBE  
We could always go up and down the glass elevator.  
  
PIPER  
I'm still listening for the part where the story ends out that we aren't sad pathetic individuals.  
  
PHOEBE  
Okay, well, at least we got out together. Got to do some sisterly  
bonding type of thing.  
  
PIPER  
I think I would rather be cleaning demon guts off the ceiling.  
  
PHOEBE  
Hey, okay, making jokes like that to any Halliwell? Not so funny. And  
besides. It's been awhile since you and I have been able to have   
some time together.  
  
PIPER  
Oh, well, sue me.  
  
PHOEBE  
Piper.  
  
PIPER  
Oh, you know I'm kidding. But you're right. It doesn't matter   
whether we are sad individuals, it just matters that we are sad  
individuals together!  
  
PHOEBE  
That's right!  
  
PIPER  
Hey, wanna go run up the down escalator?  
  
PHOEBE  
I'd love to!  
  
Interrupting their conversation, Paige orbs into the mall, point blank. As soon as Piper begins to see the orbs, she freezes time just as Paige finishes orbing in.  
  
PIPER  
Whoa! Hi! We're not alone in this place us Californians call ... oh,  
what was it? Oh, that's right! A public mall!  
  
PAIGE  
Okay, bigger emergencies.  
  
PHOEBE  
Demons?  
  
PAIGE  
Actually, no. Come on.  
  
PIPER  
Whoa, whoa. Wait. We can't just orb out. Meet us in the ladies   
room down by the food court. Just make sure there isn't anybody  
there before you orb in.  
  
INT. MAGIC SCHOOL. Both teachers and students are putting away books. Some are telekinetically putting them into boxes, others are orbing them into boxes.  
  
The three sisters orb in. Piper and Phoebe look around, confused at all the motion that's going on.  
  
PIPER  
What's going on? Why is everyone packing things away?  
  
PAIGE  
Magic School is being closed down.  
  
PHOEBE  
What?  
  
PAIGE  
Forever.  
  
FADE OUT  
  
END OF TEASER 


	2. Act I

A/N: Ah, well, I got a bunch of emails and a couple of reviews saying I should not end the season quickly, and write it out later. So what do I say? I say, ah, heck, I will.   
  
I would like to express my thanks to succubus-69. The reviews have encouraged me along my path of writing, so thanks to her.  
  
Hope you enjoy this act!  
  
INT. MANOR - ATTIC - NIGHT. A tired looking Paige is flipping through the Book of Shadows. Phoebe comes upstairs looking tired and yawning.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Sweetie, what are you doing? It's three o'clock in the morning.  
  
        PAIGE (mumbling)  
        Gotta find a spell.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        What?  
  
        PAIGE  
        A spell. I have to find a spell.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Okay, well, is there a relaxation spell in there?  
  
        PAIGE  
        Cute. Very cute.   
  
        PHOEBE  
        What are you looking for, anyway?  
  
        PAIGE  
        A spell to change the minds of the teachers at Magic School.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Paige, you can't use magic to change the minds of others. It's not  
        fair to them at all.  
  
        PAIGE  
        You find me here in the attic at three o'clock in the morning—do you  
        think I actually care?  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Paige.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Look, Phoebe, I am not looking for any of your arguments, okay? If  
        you don't support me, I am fine with that, but I am going to go   
        through with this anyway.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Okay, you know what?  
  
She grabs the Book of Shadows from the stand and levitates high up in the air and suspends herself up to a height that Paige can't reach.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Hey! What the hell are you doing?  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Saving your ass. You can meddle with other people's emotions,   
        Paige, you have to learn that.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Why not? We've done it before? Book.  
  
The Book of Shadows in Phoebe's arms orbs out and back into Paige's arms. She puts it on the stand and flips through it. Phoebe lowers herself back down to the ground.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Yes, but you're manipulating them with a spell. There have been so  
        many times that I've wanted to use a spell to solve problems like  
        that, but I've accepted the fact that I can't. And you need to, too.  
  
        PAIGE  
        But Phoebe, those kids ... they're the next generation of magic, and  
        now they're being shot down? I can't let that happen, Phoebe. I  
        won't let that happen. Damn it!  
  
        PHOEBE  
        What's wrong?  
  
        PAIGE  
        There is not a single damn spell in this book that will allow me to  
        change the thoughts of others. Oh, wait! Maybe if I reword this one  
        it'll work.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Wait, Paige, before you-  
  
        PAIGE (chanting quickly)  
        Hear these words, hear this rhyme;  
        heed the hope within my mind.  
        Thoughts and opinions, what we admire;  
        bring them now, do what I desire.  
  
There's an explosion of smoke, and when it clears, things are still the same. Nothing has changed.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Did it work?  
  
        PHOEBE  
        No.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Damn!  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Well, all that did was bring on the potential cause of my death:  
        second hand smoke.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Okay, well, this is just a silly obstacle, and it's not going to stop me.  
        One way or another, I'm gonna keep Magic School open.  
  
And with those final words, Paige orbs out of the attic with the Book of Shadows. Phoebe jumps up into action and rushes out of the attic.  
  
INT. MANOR - KITCHEN - NIGHT. Paige puts a pot on the stove and opens the Book of Shadows and looks through the ingredients. Phoebe comes running downstairs.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Whoa. Wait. Stop. What are you doing?  
  
        PAIGE  
        I'm mixing a potion.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Why?  
  
        PAIGE  
        I'm thinking of rewording the spell to open someone's heart, like we  
        did to Piper, and then I'm going to make a potion to allow me to  
        tamper with it.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        You're gonna tamper with someone's mind?  
  
        PAIGE  
        I think we've established that already. Hey, could you pass me the  
        basil? It's the first ingredient on the list.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        No! No, I am not going to pass you the basil, because what you are  
        doing is completely wrong.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Phoebe, the basil.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        No, Paige, didn't you hear me? You can't mess with other people's  
        thoughts. Magic just doesn't work that way.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Well, I'll show you a way magic does work! Basil.  
  
The basil jar inside the cabinet orbs out and reorbs into Paige's hand. She opens it and begins to measure out the amount.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Paige, please. Listen to me. Don't do this.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Could you pass the borage? Second cabinet to the right.  
  
Phoebe hesitates.  
  
        PAIGE  
        Or I could always orb it.  
  
Phoebe sighs and opens the cabinet and tosses Paige another little jar, who then smiles in triumph and begins to measure it out into the pot.  
  
INT. MANOR - KITCHEN - MORNING. Phoebe is making herself a cup of coffee. Piper and Leo come downstairs, holding hands. Phoebe notices.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Oh, subtle. Very, very subtle. You two have a bit of fun last night? I  
        heard tossing and turning.  
  
        PIPER  
        Leo and I had trouble sleeping last night.  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Don't make me tattoo "blond" across your forehead.  
  
        PIPER  
        Cute. Where's Paige?  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Oh, probably up in the attic testing her new potion.   
  
        LEO  
        Potion? What potion?  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Paige has this new damn-anyone-who-tries-to-get-in-my-way   
        attitude.  
  
        PIPER  
        Towards what?  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Towards bringing back Magic School.  
  
        LEO  
        She's really that determined, huh?  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Well, you know Paige. Once she has her mind set on something,   
        she's pretty darn firm about it.  
  
        PIPER  
        Hold on. What kind of potion are we talking about?  
  
        PHOEBE  
        One that tampers with someone's thoughts and emotions.  
  
INT. MANOR - ATTIC - DAY. Paige is surrounded by candles is in a circle of candles with a bubbling pot in front of her and a paper in the other.  
  
She begins to read the spell.  
  
        PAIGE (chanting)  
        Open their minds to reveal  
        That part which only they can feel ...  
  
Paige does not notice as a different container of ingredients is levitated off of the table and pours itself into the pot discreetly.  
  
        PAIGE (cont'd)  
        ... Let me change what I desire  
        once I'm done, they shall admire  
  
Piper, Phoebe, and Leo come running into the attic, but are only able to watch Paige drop the paper in her hand as the spell.  
  
        PIPER  
        Paige, no!  
  
Before she can say anything, the bubbling pot explodes in a burst of smoke, and when it clears, Paige is gone.  
  
        PIPER  
        Damn it!  
  
        PHOEBE  
        Wait, where'd she go? Piper, where did she go?  
  
        PIPER  
        I'm not sure.  
  
FADE OUT  
  
END OF ACT I 


End file.
